I saw The Da Vinci Code advertised on my local television station and I had to give it a try.  
 
It is, without a doubt, the best book I have read in at least two years, and DEFINITELY the best book out right now.  
 
The novel focuses on Langdon, a Harvard Symbology professor, who has traveled to France in order to receive an award or attend a conference or something (I honestly don't remember what brought him to France).  
 
He called on by the French police in order to give his opinion on a recent murder. The murdered also happens to be a curator for the Louvre Museum in Paris, and he also happens to be a man that Langdon was scheduled to meet with. The reason behind this scheduled meeting is one of the many mysteries to be revealed as you read through the book.  
 
I don't want to give much of it away, because the book is written in several "phases." Although the entirety of the story takes place within just over 48 hours, each phase reveals more information, and slowly the story unfolds hour by hour (and I mean that quite literally).  
 
The murdered man leaves behind a puzzling code, and as the reader you really find yourself pondering the code. The first code leads to a second code, and so on and so forth...and as the book progresses you find yourself trying to solve the codes, it really keeps you hooked.  
 
Once you figure out one code, suddenly you're thrown into another phase of the book, still puzzled with the mysterious happenings that you are reading about.  
 
This book is wonderfully written and is so obviously well researched that I found myself amazed at the small details. They say to write what you know, and Dan Brown's knowledge of the early church, art and history really shines through in this tale. It sparks a lot of thought, and is such a good conversation piece...especially for those of us who have a lot of interest in the history of the Church and its controversies.  
 
Although the book was engaging and an overall fast read, there were a few minor "complaints" on my part. Many of you will feel as if the writer is underestimating his audience, in that some clues are so very obvious to the reader, you can't help but want to smack the main characters aside the head to give them a clue. Many times I found myself thinking something, and then putting it aside because it seemed bit too obvious, or even far fetched at times, then a character will pipe up with the same idea and suddenly it all clicks into place. Also, I don't recommend this book if you are looking for a novel with a lot of character development, the bulk of this book is spent on explaining events in history, theories, and describing controversial opinions on many areas...there isn't a lot of character development. In fact, I think the best developed character was the English man, a "supporting role" if you will. In that sense, you don't feel as if you "know" Robert Langdon by the end of the novel. I also felt there was sort of a minor problem with an underdeveloped sub-plot (I won't give it away, but we know what sub-plots usually involve).  
 
Other than that, the book is definitely a must read, and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a problem reading about the controversial issues regarding the truth of the Church. If you haven't read about non-traditional Church history already, the book may actually be a slap in the face.  
 
